Francis Albert “Frank” Sinatra, aka Ol’ Blue Eyes, was born on December 12, 1915 in Hoboken, New Jersey to Sicilian immigrants. Upon seeing Bing Crosby perform, Sinatra dropped out of high school and decided to become a singer. He had jobs singing in local nightclubs until he caught the attention of bandleader Harry James. The two began working together with much success, and with the help of James, Sinatra recorded his first album, “From the Bottom of My Heart.”

In 1939, Sinatra joined forces with bandleader Tommy Dorsey, whose group was one of the hottest at the time. This union further exposed Sinatra to the American public, and more specifically, to teenaged bobby soxers. By the time Frank was out as a solo artist in the early 1940s, Sinatramania had already begun.

Frank Sinatra’s career and personal life had many ups and downs, but he will always be remembered as one of the greatest voices of all time. Throughout his career, Sinatra had a whopping 209 hits on the Billboards pop singles chart, 55 top 20 albums, and earned multiple film awards for his roles in various feature films.

Fun Fact: Every year on December 12, the Empire State Building lights up blue in honor of “Ol’ Blue Eyes”, Frank Sinatra.

Born Nathaniel Adams Coles on March 17, 1919 in Montgomery, Alabama, his musical talent was obvious from an early age. His family moved to Chicago, Illinois where he learned how to play the organ from his mother and began performing live at jazz clubs as “Nat Cole” with his brother when he was a teenager. He earned the nickname “King” during his time playing the piano at theseChicagoclubs.

During these years, Nat King Cole would only sing between instrumental numbers, but at the request of audiences, he incorporated more vocal pieces into his repertoire. His group, the King Cole Trio, signed with Capitol Records and began writing and cranking out hits.

As a solo artist, Nat King Cole churned out number one singles like “Unforgettable” and the immensely popular holiday classic “The Christmas Song,” among many others. Nat King Cole was the first African American entertainer to host a variety show on television, titled The Nat King Cole Show.

Just a few months after discovering he had lung cancer, Nat King Cole died in his Santa Monica, California home. He will always be remembered for his immense contributions to the music industry, as his songs have truly stood the test of time.